Henson medals as MHS claims Valley tourney
WEST DES MOINES — On a day that the Marshalltown girls’ golf team showed true grit, senior standout Natalie Henson showed off her game.
It was a win-win for the Bobcats.
Henson shot a remarkable 6-under-par 67 for medalist honors and Marshalltown captured the team title as well, winning the 17-team Lamson Invite on Monday ahead of top-ranked Ames.
It was a banner day for the Bobcats, starting at the front with Henson.
The Nebraska-Omaha recruit went 8-under over a stretch of nine holes at Willow Creek Golf Course, capping her incredible run with an eagle-3 on the par-5 12th hole. Henson shot 32-35–67 to win medalist honors by eight strokes ahead of Emerson Motl of Ames and Saleah Vivanh Vong of Des Moines East/North.
“Obviously both a huge day for us as a team and for Natalie individually,” said MHS head coach Lucas Johnson. “She took advantage of her length off the tee to set up seven birdies and an eagle and rode a hot putter to cruise to an easy win.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a high school player have a better stretch of holes than what she had after making bogey on No. 3, going 8-under in a nine-hole span.”
Henson’s round closed with one of her three bogeys, taking a 6 on the par-5 18th. It was the only score above a 4 on Henson’s card for the day.
“I know she’d have liked a better finish on 18, but just caught a bad break with some tree trouble up the right-hand side of the hole,” Johnson said.
Henson’s remarkable round helped her Bobcats beat Ames by two strokes, 320-322. It was a two-team race as Norwalk, which finished third, shot a 348.
Ames ranks atop the state’s leaderboard for combined adjusted scoring average, while Marshalltown is fifth across all classes.
“From a team perspective, that’s one of the bigger wins we’ve had in a long time,” Johnson said. “Ames is ranked No. 1 in the state for good reason and has shown in early meets that they’re a legitimate contender.”
The Bobcats’ winning total included an 82 from both senior Gaby Estabrook and freshman Morgan Hilderbrand. Senior Harper Wilson closed out the scoring contingent with an 89. Estabrook took 10th individually while Hilderbrand was 11th.
“Coach Bill Benda and I were really proud of how the girls kept their composure down the stretch and kept competing, even when they might have had a bad shot here or there,” Johnson said. “Neither Gaby Estabrook nor Harper Wilson had their ‘A’ games today, but in golf the score you can achieve when you have your ‘C’ game often says even more about a player’s mental toughness.
“Freshman Morgan Hilderbrand also deserves a ton of credit for where we were able to finish as a team. For her to go out and shoot 82 having never played the course shows a ton about her potential moving forward. Most impressive to me was that she didn’t card a score higher than bogey all day, which isn’t easy given the amount of hazards at Willow Creek.”
Emma Clawson (96) and Hallie Kuhlers (110) also competed for the ‘Cats, who have a week off to prepare for a trip to meet Ames again at the Turk Bowman Invite. Tee time is set for 10 a.m. at Veenker Memorial Golf Course on April 29.
Lamson Invite
Willow Creek Golf Course, par 73
Team Standings — 1. Marshalltown 320, 2. Ames 322, 3. Norwalk 348, 4. West Des Moines Valley 361, 5. Bettendorf 362, 6. Indianola 367, 7. Johnston 372, 8. Southeast Polk 372, 9. Newton 382, 10. Waukee 384, 11. Ankeny 384, 12. Des Moines Roosevelt 389, 13. Dallas Center-Grimes 402, 14. Urbandale 426, 15. Des Moines East/North 429, 16. Atlantic 437, 17. Mason City 453.
Individual (top 10) — 1. Natalie Henson, MHS, 67; 2. Emerson Motl, AMES, 75; 3. Saleah Vivanh Vong, DMEN, 75; 4. Shanel Sayre, VAL, 78; 5. Macy Button, AMES, 80; 6. Liliana Graham, BETT, 81; 7. Savannah Song, DMR, 81; 8. Anna Wahman, SEP, 81; 9. Kate Wahman, SEP, 81; 10. Gaby Estabrook, MHS, 82.
MARSHALLTOWN (320) — Henson 67, Estabrook 82, Morgan Hilderbrand 82, Harper Wilson 89, Emma Clawson 96, Hallie Kuhlers 110.